the twilight years

This newsletter finds me at the end of the first Uni semester. I finished the semester with five sermons in the space of a week. This included preaching at FOCUS in Hobart and in Launceston. I also had the pleasure of speaking out at Richmond Congregational Church. This left me feeling tired but with a great feeling of satisfaction. I can happily look back at a job and semester where I have achieved much.

Since my last newsletter I have, with help from one of our members, started a small weekly Bible study up at one of the residential colleges. Running a group like this has been tried before (better men than I have failed), but this time we’ve managed to get a consistent bunch of eight people each week. Benny Walter at the college has also been greatly supportive of the venture. This work alone has been a great source of personal encouragement and something to thank God for.

I also have been leading a small weekly prayer meeting down at the Conservatorium. This has around five to ten people each week. The smaller groups make contact with FOCUS more accessible and provide an opportunity to pray weekly for the other students. We’ve grown to know and love each other over the semester and are working toward an evangelistic style mission in second semester (see below).

As many of you may know I’m off for most of this month to Sydney and then Germany to get married to the lovely Christine. We’ll be married at her parents' church in Hanover on June the 29th. For those who don’t know we met about a year ago through my blog. You can check most of the story out on my blog (see address below).

We’ll be back to live in Tassie on the 8th July before heading off to FOCUS’ Mid Year Conference (MYC). MYC is the peak of the FOCUS calendar and we’ll be looking at the sometimes controversial topic of the Sovereignty of God. Please keep Christine and myself in your prayers. It has been a long and strange journey.

We’d also appreciate prayers for MYC as this will be a challenging and spiritually stretching time for many of the students. Due to my “newly married” status I’ll be taking more of a back-seat role. It will also mark the beginning of my ministry in conjunction with Christine. This will take some adjusting to - please pray that God can work effectively through us as a married couple.

Second semester should however begin with a “Bang” with the return of the “Worldview Survey”. This was a particularly effective evangelistic mission run a few years ago. I’ve been busy promoting, motivating and organising the mission. I hope to have all the organisational stuff finished before I leave. Please pray that I’ll have a restful and refreshing break in Germany.

If you’d like further updates check my blog. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.Love in Christ